Presidio Trust critical of museum proposals

Teams with three museum proposals are vying for a Presidio space just behind Crissy Field (See The Presidio Strikes Back, this week’s cover story): A museum on sustainability, a museum celebrating the history of the Presidio, and a tech and popular art museum holding the personal collection of filmmaker George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars. The trust had this to say about the proposals:

On The Bridge/Sustainability Institute

“We are concerned, however, about the institutional capacity of the team to … deliver and sustain the project financially. We encourage the … team to bring more clarity to the question of who might fund the building and early programming, and what institution will be created to operate and sustain the Bridge. While the building is ‘light on the land,’ it is also too large and we urge some consolidation of the building program.”

On the Lucas Cultural Arts Museum

“The Trust is particularly excited about the potential of exceptional educational programming to draw diverse audiences to the museum and the greater Presidio. Despite this, we have significant issues with the proposed building – its massing and height, and its architectural style – and believe it should be redesigned to be more compatible with the Presidio.”

On the Presidio Exchange (PX)

“The Presidio … is replete with examples of the Conservancy’s good work and of its ethos of partnership in the public interest. The Conservancy’s approach to programming … intended to be varied, flexible, and relevant over time to park audiences – is fascinating. Yet, these attributes also make it harder to understand what the PX is truly striving for programmatically. What is the master narrative? Is there an overall theme or focus that can be better articulated?"

Lucas museum spokesperson David Perry did not offer a detailed response when contacted by the Guardian, saying only that his team would comply with the Trust’s Jan. 3 deadline to submit additional information.